This Year's MTV VMAs Delivered A Bizarre New Style Trend

If you missed the MTV VMA’s earlier this week, it’s probably because you work. The infamous American awards show was held on Monday night US time, meaning that the action went live at around midday on Tuesday on home soil, featuring performances and appearances from Travis Scott, Jennifer Lopez, and Cardi B. To sum it up, the day was full of powerhouse musical performances, moving tributes, and of course, the odd headline grabbing scandal. Or so I’m told; instead of watching Nicki Minaj twerking, we were also working, researching cancer survivors and how Josh Brolin stays jacked at 50.

All jibes at the VMAs aside, there is no denying the impact the stars of the show have on popular culture, music, and style (heck, we're writing about them today). Trends live and die by American pop stars, and more often than not we end up following their style, albeit in a less flamboyant fashion.

However this year saw the rise of an unusual male trend, that experts have seriously advised against, particularly if you aren't already earning serious coin as a musician or athlete; the face tattoo.

Face tatts were visible on numerous raps stars this week (and will be forever), including Post Malone, Lil Pump, Travis Scott, Tyga, Offset, and 21 Savage. And although these gents weren’t the only ones sporting head ink, even funny-man Kevin Hart couldn’t help but acknowledge the cultural phenomenon.

“We got Lil Pump, we got Lil Xan, these are also the reasons that your 12-year-old cousin wants a face tattoo,” said Kevin Hart while presenting Best Hip Hop video. “Stop writing on your goddamn face. Stop writing on your face, it’s stupid. You’re not going to get a job if this sh*t don’t work out, stop it.”

Tattoos definitely aren’t taboo in today’s society, with a Pew Research Center study suggesting around 40 per cent 18 to 29 year-olds have ink somewhere on their body, but HR experts agree with Hart when it comes to location. Despite Travis Scott pulling off the look, those in charge of employing you are 78 per cent less likely to give a person a job if they had a visible face tattoo.

And the dangers of this trend also extend beyond unemployment outside of the music industry. According to new warnings from the Cancer Council, tattoos pose higher risks of skin cancer development for several reasons.

“If a tattoo covers or surrounds a mole, you might not see changes that could indicate skin cancer,” Cancer Council NSW Hunter regional manager Shayne Connell said according to the Newcastle Herald. “The tattoo pigments in your skin may make it difficult for a doctor to accurately detect cancer, delaying diagnosis of melanoma or skin cancer."

The danger surrounding ink increases with greater skin coverage, with face tattoos and sleeves posing a huge worry for dermatologists.

“Tattoos should be avoided in skin areas containing moles or pigmentary changes, as they could delay or complicate the diagnosis of potential malignant growth,” suggests a European Commission report, also quoted by the Herald.

Scott HendersonScott is the Editor of Men's Health Australia, where he oversees all editorial content of the country's largest men’s magazine. As a fitness addict, adventure sport lover, and passionate story-teller, Henderson is committed to living the Men’s Health brand.